News accounts have reported on data thefts at large retail stores. Many such stores retain credit card information as data stored on a computer network long after purchases have been consummated. Such information is then relatively unsecure, as many retail stores do not take sufficiently effective network security precautions. According to news reports, thieves broke into retailers' computer networks and download millions of credit card numbers to the thieves' own system. The thieves are alleged to have accessed the computer networks by breaking encryption protecting wireless access points to the stores' networks. Once they were able to log onto the computers on the stores' networks through the compromised wireless access points, they could take information relating to credit card transactions conducted by those stores within the previous few years. This information included credit card numbers, security codes, expiration dates, and other pertinent data.
Once stolen, credit card information may be sold on the black market, and may used to conduct fraudulent transactions along with identity fraud. Improvements to credit card transactions, to deter such data theft, would be desirable.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.